Vietnam, Australia boost energy cooperation

A conference aimed at promoting cooperation between Vietnam and
Australia in energy and resources was held in Hanoi on November 14.

Jointly organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the
Australian Embassy in Vietnam , the event was to mark the 40 th
anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Vietnam has cooperated with Australia in oil exploration and
exploitation, coal import-export, production and import of liquefied
natural gas (LNG), and energy saving.

According to the
development planning of Vietnam ’s electricity sector, the total
capacity of the country’s power plants is estimated at 75,000 MW by
2020. Of which, coal and gas-fueled thermoelectricity will account for
48 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively.

Therefore, the country will have to import coal and gas to serve its electricity generation.

According to preliminary calculations, Vietnam will need about 1.3
billion tonnes of coal for electricity production in the next two
decades. It will also have to import about 5-6 million tonnes of LNG per
year by 2015 and 10-15 million tonnes by 2030.

With Australia’s
abundant natural resources and Vietnam’s increasing energy needs,
the two sides agreed to further promote cooperation in energy
development, and coal and LNG imports in the coming time.-VNA